Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are developmental disabilities that affect 3% to 5% of school-aged children (Schertz, M. et al., Pediatrics 98(4):763 (1996)). The 1987 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) uses ADHD to describe children who have developmentally inappropriate degrees of inattention, compulsiveness and hyperactivity.
Fourteen criteria are used to diagnose children, including: fidgeting, difficulty remaining seated, being easily distracted, blurting out answers, difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play, shifting from one activity to another, inability to play quietly, talking excessively, interrupting others, not listening, losing things, and engaging in physically dangerous activities. Children must exhibit a minimum of eight criteria for six months for a diagnosis (Krummel, et al., Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 36:31-47, 1996).
The most common treatment for ADD and ADHD is psychostimulant medication, using methylphenidate hydrochloride (RITALIN.TM.), dextroamphetamine sulfate, or magnesium pemoline. RITALIN.TM. is most frequently used, and is usually administered twice a day when a child is attending school. One of the most frequent side effects of psychostimulant medication is a decrease in appetite, resulting in weight loss, but to varying degrees and for a limited time in some subjects (Schertz,, M. et al., Pediatrics 98 (4):763 (1996)). Growth suppression as assessed by height has also been reported, but appears to become corrected by late adolescence (Spencer, T. J. et al., J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 33:1460 (1996); see also Klein, R. G. and S. Mannuzza, Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 45:1131 (1988).